Catch ‘Sweet Lou’ Piniella at the ValleyCats Game Next Week

Capital Region baseball fans, here's your chance to witness one of the game's greats right in your backyard!

As announced by the team's website this morning, former New York Yankees player and manager Lou Piniella will be at the Tri-City ValleyCats game on August 14 against the Sussex County Miners. Piniella won 1,835 games as a manager, a total currently ranked 16th all-time, and won three World Series championships between his playing and managing career.

Piniella will be throwing out the first pitch at the game, and will be in the Capital Region for his induction into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Before he became one of baseball's winningest managers, Piniella had an incredible 18-year Major League playing career. Breaking into the league in 1964, he finally established himself as a consistent threat in 1969, winning the Rookie of the Year Award with the Kansas City Royals, his third MLB team. He went on to play five seasons and 700 total games with the Royals, before being traded to the New York Yankees in 1973.

Piniella spent the final 11 seasons of his career with the Bombers, and became known for his versatility and consistency, playing both corner outfield positions with ease. He ended as a career .295 hitter in 1,037 games in New York, and finished in the Top 10 in batting average in the American League twice.

Piniella went on to manage five MLB franchises between 1986 and 2010, beginning (briefly) with the New York Yankees, and ending with the Chicago Cubs. He won three Manager of the Year Awards, and managed the 1990 Cincinnati Reds to a World Series championship.

Piniella will be inducted into the New York Baseball Hall of Fame the weekend of August 14th, as well. Here's more on the game from the ValleyCats:

August 14 is “Hockey Night” at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, as the Tri-City ValleyCats take on the Sussex County Miners in the second game of a three-game weekend set, with postgame fireworks presented by Price Chopper - Market32!

Information from The Times Union contributed to this story.